


Lunch Table

by rabidsamfan



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-25 21:58:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17129471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabidsamfan/pseuds/rabidsamfan
Summary: Back to school.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SoVeryAverageMe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoVeryAverageMe/gifts).



Saving someone else from dying changes everything. It makes listening to Lucinda complain about her latest boyfriend seem boring. Especially when Martha’s over at the corner table with Spencer and Fridge, and they’re all laughing. 

“Excuse me,” Bethany says, and takes her tray with her. She hears gasps from the popular crowd, and feels a pang of uncertainty, but it doesn’t matter, because Spencer sees her and lights up, and Fridge is standing up to pull out a chair for her, and Martha’s waving for her to join them. 

Turns out lunch tastes better when you eat it with friends.


	2. Just Desserts

Fridge transfers his dessert to Bethany’s tray, and shrugs at her raised eyebrow. “I’ll get over it,” he says, glad that his ears don’t turn red the way Spencer’s do when he’s embarrassed. 

She looks at the cake, and then takes a deep breath and digs in. “More for me!” And it’s a kindness, because they all know how hard she’s been dieting most of her life. And really, she’s not so bad now that she hasn’t got that selfie stick up her ass. 

Somehow, Fridge knows, she’s transformed “thinking about what others think of you” into “thinking about others”.


	3. Weaknesses

The cake reminds Spencer, and he clears his throat. “Um. I don’t think you have to worry, Fridge. I mean. Think about it. The game said your weaknesses were strength and speed, too, and those are actually things you’re really good at. Martha, venom is meant for defense, and you’re good at protecting what’s important to you. And Bethany, I mean, we all know that you’re really stubborn, and that’s kind of like endurance.”

“Determined,” Martha says. “She’s determined. But what does that mean for you? That you don’t have any strengths at all?” 

He squirms under their stares. “Maybe.”


	4. Strengths

“Bullshit,” Fridge says and Bethany and Martha nod agreement. “It isn’t like the game was opposite day or something. The strengths are the ones we didn’t know we had. Bethany’s pretty smart, and Martha can kick ass. And it turns out I don’t have to be the star player to be a key player. And, Spencer, you might not be fearless, but you’re brave. And smart.”

“You took what the game gave us and made it work,” Martha chimes in. “You got us to work together, and it worked.”

“I miss the smoulder,” Bethany admits. “But the friendship? That’s intense.”


End file.
